Boldness and Humility [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright. We are part of the redemptive story because were telling the whole world about the love of Jesus telling you it's one story from Genesis all the way to Revelation. And it's all woven together by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I love the word of God Alan Wright welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life, and no new light.

I'm excited for you to hear the teaching today. In this series word and spirit of unity of balance as presented in an older church in North Carolina that you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program to make sure you know how to get our special source. Right now it can worse for your nation this month to Alan Wright mysteries.

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Contact us@pastor.org that's pastor out.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright enter in just using her words born-again fundamentalist Christianity. She writes again. Just her way of seeing us on things now nothing is accurate and same way she sees it. Fundamentalist Christianity says that one must not believe in himself, and only in Jesus Christ. Fundamentalist Christianity is no room for self-esteem. You see her perception, requiring a believer to place his or her trust solely in Jesus Christ.

So her idea of when she accepted Christ. Whenever God taught her seem like it was in conflict with the idea of having inward a steam that she goes on says and then I entered what she calls Protestantism only know what she means by that. But she said and encountered a softer version of the same thing solo Krista is really referred for theological belief of salvation but is the prescription of many Orthodox Christians when it comes to problems with self-esteem she continued for a long time then idly self-esteem and self-confidence were wrong because muscle were to be found in God and not myself.

I engage in warm theology on such awful terrible center. There's no righteousness in me all right if this is found in God and am a poor pathetic pitiful soul and I'm so lucky.

God save me because I'm totally worthless.

Otherwise, and then she shipped is beginning last week I started reading Jillian Michaels book Unlimited how to live an exceptional life notice were about self-help self-confidence book and started seriously thinking maybe it's time for me to walk away from Christianity because I like what Jillian is saying about reclaiming and recapturing my life. I want to have self-esteem.

I want to have self-confidence. I want to stop obsessing and feeling like a poor pathetic little blank all the time.

Reason this year that is so so poignant is there is the conflict. If you don't get a hold of what what were to see today than it leaves you, and one of these two worlds, either as like I can be humble, but not have much self-esteem or I can have all this self-confidence, but that didn't seem to fit with the call to be surrendered to Christ is the missing of the gospel doesn't help when the whole media around us seems to parade to those people that are just so puffed up, and so we have people like Kanye West saying my greatest pain in life is that I'll never be able to see myself perform live or he said I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it. There's a paradox in the Scripture that the apostle Paul when were studying today when he wrote he often compared this boldness and humility right together.

For example, first Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26. Consider your calling brothers not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things are not to bring to nothing things that are we saying the same God chose people who might not of been able to demonstrate that they were highly ranked in the world's eyes and then did something very powerful in and through them.

He said that chapter 12 of second Corinthians as he talked about how he received what he called a form and it was something that kept him humble and he said with regard to this so to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations that he had a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, Paul writes I'll boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me when I'm weak, then I'm strong.

The paradox the thorn is very clear what it was. It was a spiritual battle is having to face spiritual demonic entities for Christians in a spiritual battle, what Paul was asking the Lord, who must have asked for something like this could I just get out of the battle that I just have a free ticket away from having to get up in the morning to put on the whole armor of God and pray in the Spirit and rejoice in and live in a countable relationship to have fellowship with you. She cannot just get out of it where I don't have to do that… No, not in this world you don't get a ticket out of that very thing that is making you be like a deer that pants water broke is very spiritual battle is making you hunger control upon my grace is very thing that makes you powerful because in that weakness in which you see that if you didn't have me you would be vulnerable to the enemy within me you can do all things. That's the very thing that's causing you to trust me to believe me to stay with me the hunger for me to grow in me and to do the mission that I've given you to know you will get a ticket for policing together.

He says in Romans 826 is likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words to me. Thing is a bad thing when you get to that point you may know how to pray and God is not a bad place is like the Holy Spirit will pray for you who pray in you who lead you and will guide you to just a paradox that is something that it could be like Paul is led by the hand blinded for three day starts out his ministry. That way, astonishingly weak, and yet so incredibly empowered that he is absolutely in Christ convinced that there's nothing that's impossible. So is absolute confidence. She feels like there's an unresolvable conflict between boldness and humility, but actually in the gospel. You see that these two things do not come into conflict, but they are joined and married together.

Tim Keller said it exceedingly well. The gospel makes us neither self-confident nor self disdaining, but both bold and humble at once to the degree I'm still functionally earning my work through performance. To the degree of still functioning and works righteousness to that degree. I'll either be operating on superiority or inferiority. Why, because if I'm saved by my works that I can either be confident but not humble. If I'm living up to, or to be humble, but not confident if I'm not living up to in other words, apart from the gospel. I'll be forced to be superior or inferior or swing back and forth to be one way with some people and another way with others. I'm continually caught between these two ways because the nature of my self image so the gospel humbles me before anyone telling me I'm a sinner saved only by grace but also emboldens me before anyone telling me I'm loved and honored by the only eyes in the universe that really count.

So the gospel gives him boldness and humility that do not eat each other up, but can increase together. There is what happens in the gospel is it the shift of attention is taken off of you and your performance altogether. You're just kind of taken out of the equation because now the attention is upon Jesus Christ and his performance and his righteousness, and what happens is that when all the attention get centered upon Jesus and what he's done and what his finish work is.

It just takes you out of this whole game of the ranking system which is not even in it anymore dynamic.

I'm not running a ranking system with a body were not morally superior to anybody, which means how can we judge other people and as some sinner is now so would we be but for the grace of God and what we once were, and we know that we live with that but that doesn't mean that we walk around San Juan additional center and under still write down here. Not at all. Instead, what were saying is that in Christ we been blessed with every spiritual blessing where we might've been like the prodigal son in a faraway land, but we come back home in their lamb chops on the grill and is beautiful here is wonderful in the kingdom of God is vast in its spiritual riches and glory of it is unspeakable and we rejoice in it, and when a mental big giant kingdom party that's already started were in the middle of a world that's got all kinds of trouble. We pay heed to that we don't judge people because were not morally superior, but we don't walk around and condemnation as if work somehow inferior instead, we have shifted away from whether we have a lot of self-confidence or little bit of self-confidence was was self anymore. It has to do with God, and is a real position is not just it were saying well I am a sinner and I'm weak.

But sometimes God comes in and moves through me. That's not what were saying what were saying is that I was lost, but I have been found. I was dead, but I'm alive again and so I understand it every point that I'm not better than anybody I have no position to judge over anybody else but my status has changed in my position in the cosmos has changed because I have been so utterly forgiven and so it changes everything and absolutely changes everything. So the commission on our life then is filled up with a sense of destiny and purpose, and authenticity and confidence and power, and yet knowing that is an incredible humiliating will have more teaching moment from today's important series being filled with the Holy Spirit shutting off your mind hearing for a wonderful surprise God's Word and God's spirit were never meant to be separated, embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit can grow like never before with wording spirit realm up helping someone else grow as well. And remember, when you partner with Alan Wright Ministries to be broadcasting the love of God to every day we are in our final days of offering the special product.

Call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.work. Today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan writing humility.

CS Lewis said it best is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. That's where freedom comes into your life when you're able to get off your own mind what it be nice just to have a conversation with somebody you could generally just be caring about them thinking about because you're not worrying about what they're thinking about you because you've been taken out of the equation. You are already wrapped up in your identity in Christ Jesus you get this kind of humility wanting what happens is is is this thing that comes in your life is a huge gift and when you know that it's gift you treated is Rather than in pride and Pride that get happy and proud and boastful about about something is just a gift I it's not something you are, but there is something assigned is wow buddy of mine, Kitty Thacker preached a sermon a few weeks ago he texted me set up regional humility. I got a great title for what is it title.

A message was the best sermon on humility you've ever heard that Antonello something Kitty said he talked about their two kinds of people. There are powers and what hours and use this illustration. He said when his kids were little and went to Disney World as they didn't have much money can afford to go to got their part couldn't believe the sea of cars that never seen so many cars. First, he said how we will find a parking place and with the parts and how we can remember where where the parking places and they walked up and saw the prices of the tickets is that how we are afford to get these tickets and they said how we going to manage to stand in these lines in the middle to heat all day and is filled all these how how how how exhibitors can draw together different they got there they looked at the Magic Kingdom is said we got to get in there right now sell the car. Whatever it takes. Were going in there right now. Life even just on how you go there semi-things we don't understand people who come into the gospel go wow you come into a kingdom you go in your life gets filled with a sense of humility. It's like this when you come and look at the Grand Canyon and go wow part of the bliss of that is you forgetting about yourself, at least for a few ministries partake in Celtics. But if you can just enjoy it if you could just go. I can enjoy something so vast so big. Just the sight of it and depend on me. It was here before I got here. It'll be here when I leave and I'm happy just to have seen it, something like that happens inside the Christians heart.

It produces this kind of confidence.

CS Lewis said you can know you been in the presence of God by this you realize you have forgotten about yourself while you were the gospel means you're not having to think about whether a better weather worse than other people. You're not having to think about whether I measured up didn't measure up. Instead, the Gospels meditation is in Christ he's paid it all he's done it all. He's bought me back in the measure of my life now is not my righteousness, but he is and therefore you can be humble and you can be bold.

What this means. If I were to put it in practical terms, the love it, you're no better than anybody else but you are blessed and highly favored you're not in competition with anyone. Ultimately, because you're already victorious in Christ, and you cannot loose you will live with him forever.

How could we fall into petty divisions and competition when we are so victorious in Christ will live with him, and reign with him forever and forever it means. Thirdly, you're no more deserving of God's law than the most vile center, but because you do have the love of God. Sin is no longer your master. It means Christians. You don't have to downplay your strengths or gifts for fear of being proud. You'll have to walk around and just every time so my patient complement go, not me. Not me.

It means if you are Joseph and you're in the dungeon and Pharaoh came and knocked on doors like you to be prime minister. You say alrighty you don't have to always be downplaying your strengths and gifts get comfortable with yourself. You got some gifts of some strengths some attributes of God is put into you be comfortable with that because you know you're not a self-made person, it means this also you don't have to be ashamed your weaknesses. You can laugh at your own failures to a person really gives the gospel can laugh at their own inadequacies and failures because your failures are final and they are the measure of who you are, you can just become more like a toddler who is learning to walk in thought and get back up the phone and get back up big deal.

It means that the gospel has removed the ranking system is not about works salvation in your measuring your life according to whether your morally better than others. You're not above or below others in some ranking system because you're in a whole new system called grace is just a whole different way of being the highest ranked person isn't good enough to earn salvation and the lowest right person isn't low enough to be disqualified from salvation because the gospel is not about you it's about Jesus.

Major taken out of the equation, you're forgiven because of his sacrifice and made righteous by his perfection and so you're measured by what he's done for you.

That means you can say at the same time, I'm no better than anybody else and I don't deserve any good thing but I'm so so accepted and so filled with the Holy Spirit that no weapon formed against me shall prosper, changes the way you pray were not the people who come so I'm just a sinner and I hope God is our come today in prayer that there might be a crime that would follow for your table and maybe I could just taste a little Crom that the picture of the gospel of course not. I will sister come to the throne of grace boldly in your time of need.

God is not pleased by his children feeling inferior and groveling. He came and paid this full infinite price so that you could be his child and his air said you could come into the fellowship of the king without fear. You have no concern that you go turn his face away from you anymore than a loving father wants to turn his face away from his own son, but what he delights in like any good parent is to see his children well fed. He delights in seeing his children full of joy and purpose.

He wants to see his children confidence in, and so it is that the humility that we have before God is constantly acknowledging that he and he alone is the giver of every good gift. So everything with him.

He wants just worship him, but there's this other side of me is so confident that what he's done is made me secure in Christ that I have a new position in the world and therefore we pray with boldness and Christians we must see ourselves, though in this world we are humble we are declared spiritually in the kingdom of God to be the head and not the tail, and so we have confidence in our prayer life. We have confidence in a way which we come to the Lord. We, saying God you promise to these things are extraordinary. There beyond what I can ask or imagine what you said so I take you at your let it be unto me according to your word, just like Mary said David right after God said, put somebody from your family on the throne forever and forever came and sat down before the Lord is Lord. I don't deserve it. My my family. Could you look about since you said all these things, let it be just exactly like you have said you change the way you pray change where you live in will change the way that you do missions in the world. It will change the way in which your faith is at work in the world because when you're bold and confident and yet humble at the same time with the world will see is exactly opposite with a young woman said in her blog is to be a Christian does it mean to be a person wallowing around with a lack of confidence. It is a whole new level of confidence in his greater confidence. It has no connection whatsoever to my own personal merit and therefore is short and is solid and is true in its eternal and that is linked together with his amazing humility just keeps us in his constant awareness that were not better than anybody else and we don't judge anybody but we love everybody.

In other words, beloved, you can be bold and humble because of the power of Jesus Christ in your life, and that the gospel right that gives me hope for today only. This is well for you.

It's boldness and humility.

Today's teaching in the series.

The beauty of balance. Stay with us.

Alan is back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and today's final word being filled with the Holy Spirit shutting off your mind hearing for a wonderful surprise word and God's spirit were never meant to be separated as someone once said all Lord spirit you dry all spirit. No word both word and spirit you Barela you make a gift of support. This month will send you Alan Wright's newest album on CD or digital download word and spirit. The beauty of the highlights embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit can grow like never before with word and spirit you Barela helping someone else grow as well.

And remember, when you partner with Alan Wright Ministries to be broadcasting the love of God to thousands every day. We are in our final days of offering the special product. Call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor out and got away and I know what you talking about going into that war and theology that can be there's a there's a part of bed that may be okay to say okay I realize that I am a sinner and that I needed Christ. But then you have the finish work and that then enters the boldness that we can then live with that. Both humility and the boldness I think it's not taking either too extreme right exactly i.e. QVC again CS Lewis that humility is not thinking less of yourself thinking of yourself less than what were discovering here is that in that definition. When you become preoccupied with Christ. When you become filled with the Holy Spirit when your life is absolutely enthralled by the wonder of the gospel. You're not thinking of yourself, but when it's time for you to speak for you to act for God to use you. There is a boldness that is there because you recognize what God has done for you. In other words, when we act humble and a false way we are diminishing who we are in Christ and that does not God. No honor but when we are bold in Christ.

It doesn't make us proud. It makes us instead a reflection of our preoccupation with how wonderful God really is very very important and so big and all Christian growth is to embrace boldness in Christ, along with humility. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries